James t



' (No Model.) 5

5 J. T. SARGENT.

WASHBOARD.

No. 555,551. Patented Mar. 17,1896.

UNITED STATES JAMES T. SARGENT, OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN VVASI-IBOARD COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

'WASHBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 556,561, dated March 17, 1896.

Applicati n filed March 29, 1895.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES T. SARGENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in WVashboards, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in washboards, and has for its object a construction whereby a soap box or receptacle may be formed above the head-piece of the washboard-frame, the sides of such boX being made movable into the brand-board space, and will not, therefore, prevent a compact arrangement of a number of washboards for transportation or storage.

In general terms, the invention consists in the construction and combination substantially as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion of a washboard having my improvement applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same.

In the practice of my invention the washboard is constructed in the usual or any suitable manner, and in the head-piece 1 of the frame are formed slots 2 on opposite sides of the brand-board 3, and in the inner sides of the side bars at are formed grooves 5 in line with the slots 2. Through the slots 2 are slipped the boards 6, which are provided at their lower corners with lugs 7 ,which project into the grooves 5 in the side bars. The slots 2 in the head-piece are so shaped that when the boards 6 are raised, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the portions above the head-piece may be shifted away from each other, the boards turning on the lugs '7 in the grooves 5, thereby forming a truncated V- shaped trough above the head-piece,which forms the bottom of the trough or receptacle.

As shown in Fig. 1, the

Serial No. 543,666. (No model.)

slots 2 are made of a length not greater than the distance between the side-bars, and the lugs 7 project into the grooves in the side bars, so that shoulders or stops are formed at the upper ends of the grooves to check the upward movement of the boards. The boards are forced to assume their inclined positions above the head-piece by a spring 8 bearing against the boards, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to hold the boards in operative position above the head-piece, grooves 9 are formed in the outer sides of the boards for engagement with shoulders on the head-piece when forced outwardly by the spring 8.

IVhen the washboard is not in use, the boards 6 are pressed toward each other and then slid in alongside of the brand-board, so that the washboard can be packed in the usual manner and the boards 6 are protected from injury.

I claim herein as my invention 1. The combination of a washboard provided with a slotted head-piece and two boards mounted on the washboard-frame, and movable through the slots in the head-piece,whereby they are adapted in one position to form a soap box or receptacle above the head-piece, and in the other position to lie wholly within the washboard-frame, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a washboard, the head-piece thereof being provided with slots, boards movable through the slots and provided with lugs projecting into grooves in the side bars of the washboard-frame, and a spring for pressing the boards apart when raised above the headpiece, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES T. SARGENT. Witnesses:

PETER J. J OECKEN, E. O. HASTINGS. 

